Be Vigilant: Fake Police Scam Doing The Rounds Again
Real Police officers are warning Kiwis to be vigilant of cold callers posing as Police officers, as a pesky scam rears its head.
In the past year, Police have worked quickly to warn the public as these scam calls emerged.
Waitematā CIB's acting Detective Senior Sergeant Ben Bergin says, 'unsuspecting victims are essentially being called out of the blue under a ruse'.
'The story changes slightly, but it will usually involve some sort of investigation and this 'officer' will report having located a valuable item of yours, such as a passport.
'He will need your help or ask for your personal information.
'The caller speaks with an English accent and provides a bogus ID number to the victim.'
If you receive a phone call such as this, Police advise the public to be extremely cautious.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Bergin says previous iterations of this scam has involved scammers asking people to withdraw cash as part of 'an investigation' or handing over bank details.
Police made several arrests last year over the scam.
'We strongly advise that you hang up,' he says.
'From time-to-time, Police officers may contact you as part of their genuine duties.
'It can be a bit surprising to receive a call unexpectantly, so stop and think if you get a far-fetched story shared down the telephone line.'
In the past week, Police have received reports from Kiwis on both islands, including: Warkworth, Riverhead, Royal Oak, Ngaruawahia and in the Clutha and Queenstown-Lakes districts.
'Fortunately, at this stage we are not aware of any victims losing money,' acting Detective Senior Sergeant Bergin says.
'Those recipients have done the right thing and ended the call and reported it to the real Police.'
If you have received a similar call, please report this to Police online now or call 105.
Important advice from New Zealand Police:
- Police will never ask for your bank details, pin numbers or banking log in
- Police do not offer prize money
- Police will never ask you to go to a bank and withdraw your own cash
- Stop and think: If the call seems off, hang up and call 105 to verify the officer's identity, or request a callback
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